The statistics come from the analysis of ‘sell-in’ data from 115 companies in the sector. Information that allows for a final outdoor market estimation of some 12.3 billion euros in cash revenues in 2017. Across Europe, the growth trends were not homogenous, however, namely in relation to the three major markets – Germany, France and the UK — which collectively make up half of the European market, equating to 115 million products and 2.95 billion euros in wholesale.
The British market, which also includes Ireland, appeared to have benefited from a price adjustment in 2017. The number of pieces sold grew 14% and sales value lifted 8%. Germany showed a solid progression, up 3% in both volume and sales terms, while France kept pace. Sales in volume terms were stable compared to 2016, while sales were down 2% in value terms.
As for categories, a good start to the last winter season at the end of 2017 helped drive outdoor apparel sales. Clothing grew 5% in value terms and 6.7% in volume on the European level. But the most impressive gains were made by footwear, where sales in volume terms surged 9.2%, while value terms skyrocketed 13.4%.The other booming category was mattresses and sleeping bags, with sales advancing by 3.9% in volume and 9.7% in value terms. Only the tent category showed a decline in 2017.